airbag/non-airbag

i have a 96 300tdi with out airbags, i have just bought a brand new dash off ebay but its for the air bag model, i have been told the wiring is there even though the discovery isnt fitted with airbags. is this correct ? if i fit the dash with airbags can i just plug the air bag in so they will work as they should or is it a bit more involved than that ?

I would highly suspect the "dash" looms are there, but I doubt very much if the crash sensors and looms in the engine bay are fitted.

airbags also have their own ecu that has to be coded to the airbags and i am not sure but you may need the seatbelt pre-tensioners also.The less electronics on the disco means there are less things to go wrong!

Seatbelt pre-tensioners , is that the ones that pull tight in a crash, operated by steel cables that run under the floor attached somewhere to the structure of the vehicle, if so D1s don't have it, only the bog standard inertia belts

vivnap said:

i have a 96 300tdi with out airbags, i have just bought a brand new dash off ebay but its for the air bag model, i have been told the wiring is there even though the discovery isnt fitted with airbags. is this correct ? if i fit the dash with airbags can i just plug the air bag in so they will work as they should or is it a bit more involved than that ?

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You will still be short of a bag that will be for the driver so you will need the steering wheel as well and possibly the column.
Air bags were an option on some 300 series so the wiring may be there as it's seems that disco were fitted with a standard loom but as mentiond that's it.

the pre-tensioners are the ones that pull tight by steel cables but i wasnt sure whether or not they are fitted to the discos with airbags.

i doubt the series one discos had pre-tensioners and there were D1,s that were fitted with airbags.
if its gonna be a ball ache to do then ill forget it and get another dash, but being as the one i bought is brand new still packaged i would like to fit it and get the airbags some other time. if its just a case of getting the airbag, steering wheel, and sensor then just plug it in and it works ill go for that option but i would like to know for sure before i start down this route.

cheers.

I'd very much doubt the sensors etc.. are there nor the air bag control module - is it really worth the bother? Why not just fit the dash but just not wire in the airbag? In all honesty, in a disco 1 in a front end collision... whats an airbag going to bring to the party? They aren't renowned for being safe in a crash! Check out the video on youtube for example on fith gear where one had a front end smash with a Megane and look at the state of where the driver was sat.

terrastudios said:

I'd very much doubt the sensors etc.. are there nor the air bag control module - is it really worth the bother? Why not just fit the dash but just not wire in the airbag? In all honesty, in a disco 1 in a front end collision... whats an airbag going to bring to the party? They aren't renowned for being safe in a crash! Check out the video on youtube for example on fith gear where one had a front end smash with a Megane and look at the state of where the driver was sat.

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but i dont like having something fitted that dont work as it should ! im a bit touchy with stuff like that